They're Here! What a day it was! Tulip didn't skip a beat yesterday. She enjoyed breakfast, lunch, and dinner as if it were any other day... and then, at 6:30 p.m., she calmly welcomed her first puppy into the world. Making a grand entrance was Mr. Rocky Road (brown collar). Not long afterward, Mr. Maple Walnut (beige collar) arrived, and that's when things started to get a little more exciting! Our third arrival, Mr. Pistachio (green collar), decided the backyard lawn was the perfect place to make his debut while Tulip and I were out for an evening walk. Thankfully, I always carry a towel with me when we're close to whelping. I scooped up our newest little traveler, and Tulip and I made a speedy dash back to the house. The surprises didn't stop there! Miss Vanilla (white collar) made her entrance on the bedroom carpet while I was letting Tulip outside for a quick bathroom break. Shortly afterward, Mr. Moose Tracks (blac...
Tulip's x-ray - guess how many puppies! The Countdown is On! By Day 60 of pregnancy, Tulip's puppies are considered fully developed. Their skeletons and internal organs are complete, and they are spending these final days in the womb doing what they do best—gaining weight, building strength, and maturing their digestive systems in preparation for life outside the womb. A normal canine gestation lasts approximately 63 days, although healthy puppies can safely arrive anywhere from 58 to 68 days. At this stage, the puppies are actively preparing for birth, and so is Tulip. We've set up the whelping box in our bedroom so she'll have a quiet, comfortable place to deliver her puppies. She checks it out from time to time but doesn't seem overly interested just yet. Instead, she's convinced that the perfect spot is beneath one of our cedar trees in the backyard. Despite my best efforts to discourage the digging, she's determined to create her own little den for he...